Bowlers will be allowed two bouncers per over starting from IPL 2024.

The 2024 season of the IPL will maintain the current domestic cricket playing condition of granting bowlers two bouncers per over, marking a major departure from previous seasons when only one short ball used to be permitted.

Earlier this year, the BCCI introduced the second bouncer rule in the playing conditions of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), an inter-state national T20 championship in the BCCI domestic calendar. The Board has now decided to persist with this rule for the IPL as well.

For context, in T20 Internationals, the International Cricket Council (ICC) allows only one short ball, whereas two bouncers are permitted in the Test and One Day International (ODI) competitions.

"It's an excellent move," remarked Laxmipathy Balaji, a former India pacer and a former bowling coach of the Chennai Super Kings, speaking to Cricbuzz. "It will be a good addition to the armoury of fast bowlers and will provide bowlers, captains, and coaching staff with something to strategize and work with for a particular batsman. It will also make the contest between bat and ball much more balanced."

Balaji stressed that the second bouncer could become more crucial during the latter stages of a match. "Bowlers often resort to yorkers in the death overs. Now they have one more option. With world-class fast bowlers participating in the IPL, it will be exciting to witness the contests," added Balaji.

In another notable playing condition, the BCCI will continue with the rule of checking for a catch while a referral is made for stumping. Typically, stumping calls are reviewed by the on-field umpire's referral. This playing condition differs from ICC regulations, but BCCI officials believe that not checking for a catch before a stumping would be unfair on the fielding side.

"There could be a situation that while checking for stumping it may appear that bat had touched the ball. As per the ICC rule, the third umpire cannot give the batsman out. That would be unfair. Hence the BCCI has opted to persist with the old rule," a board official explained.

The teams will continue to have two referrals and will be allowed to review wides and no balls, as introduced last year. However, there will be no stop clock rule in the IPL, a recent change in the ICC playing conditions which has been made permanent in white-ball international games.